Numerical investigation of jet layout for annular jet cooling on a steel tube

Abstract

Jet array layout is a crucial process parameter affecting cooling efficiency and uniformity. In this study, annular jet cooling on the surface of a seamless steel tube is numerically investigated. The main aim of this study is to examine the effect of annular jet layouts on the heat transfer and flow characteristics of jet cooling. Numerical computations were performed with two cooling media (air and water) and four jet layouts (side-by-side annular vertical jet, staggered annular vertical jet, side-by-side inclined jet, and staggered annular incline jet). The Realizable k-ε model and volume of fluid (VOF) model were used in this study. The axial Nu, circumferential Nu distribution, cooling uniformity, and cooling efficiency were comprehensively investigated. The comparison results of water-cooling show that Nu at different positions shows good consistency under air cooling but has poor cooling efficiency. Moreover, compared with the side-by-side annular vertical jet for water cooling, the staggered annular inclined jet (Nus = 190.602) exhibited poor cooling efficiency performance, with Nus reducing by 7.65%.